Baxter Hayride Autumn Ale

Posted by sunbeer on October 5th, 2012

Baxter’s second seasonal ale has arrived in stores just as it’s starting to really feel like Fall, and I, for one, am excited by its coming! Fall is an interesting time of year for me because it seems like, as the leaves turn and the temperature drops (even slightly, as it’s been so far), more and more spectacular beers get released each year and I’m always psyched to see how the craft beer scene develops. It’s even better when the local beer scene starts putting out exciting new beers, and this is definitely one of them. Baxter began producing seasonal varieties this past season with their Celsius, which was an interesting take on a wheat-based IPA-style ale with lemongrass and kafir lime leaves. This brew, clad in quaint plaid and complete with a red tractor logo, is even crazier in terms of ingredients. The back claims it to be a “rye ale brewed with New Zealand Pacifica & Pacific Jade hops, aged on ginger, peppercorns, orange peel and American oak”! Talk about experimental, but let’s see if it holds up on flavor and drinkability.

Pouring an undeniably hazy, cream soda-like light-medium brown with orange highlights, this beer boasts a retentive off-white head with very spotty lacing that seems mostly to stick around in small patches, though there seems to be some consistency here and there. The hops in play are both New Zealand varietals, which is exciting (if a bit random and somewhat jarring with the focus on the Fall season this pushes); though Pacifica boasts strong acidic and floral qualities, Pacific Jade is touted as a hop with a “soft bitterness” and a citrus aroma, meaning this beer is attempting some interesting things. The use of orange peel is pretty obvious in the nose, working well with those two hops to create a definite rindlike bitterness and maybe even a slight medicinal sniff. Rye is somewhat apparent in the nose, as well, though it seems to take a backseat to the stiff, wooden scent of the oak and the peppery spice. This seems really complex, and my first sip definitely proves that by bearing flashes of everything mentioned on the label. Ginger, for instance, is very well-utilized and provides a dryness and balance to the hoppy and malty middle. As noted before, some medicinal and tonic-like notes are definitely obvious and give this a somewhat thicker mouthfeel, which, leading into the dry and biting finish, seems fitting. Greatly enjoying this one; it’s got something for everyone but never feels like too much in any specific way.

I get the feeling the subtle oak-aging has a lot to do with the fact that this is so drinkable despite its wackiness. As I’ve stated before on OG, oak-aging is one of those techniques that, when used correctly, typically makes a beer much more interesting and multi-faceted, and there’s no departure from that theory here. The oak seems to temper and smooth out the heady carbonation, while also doing some easing-out of the wild flavor profile here. Light vanilla is definitely notable in the middle as the spicy rye and ginger lose footing on the way to the prickly finish; that’s likely another oak-ism making itself known! The aftertaste on this is probably the most well-done part, as it combines the sweet, spicy and citric flavors in perfect harmony. I urge everyone who reads and follows this blog to check out Baxter Brewing Co. and follow them as they (hopefully!) continue to make more amazing seasonal beers with out-of-the-box, good-old-craft-brewing ideas. I certainly will.

THE OFFICIAL BREAKDOWN:

Style: Spiced Rye Ale (aged on oak)ABV: 6.6%

Appearance: Light-ish brown/amber with nice haze. Lots of suspended particles. Spotty/inconsistent lace and fairly retentive small, eggshell-white colored headScent: Citrus-y hops and spicy, sour rye combine with light oak/vanilla and some black pepper. Quite an anomaly, but not off season at all; actually somehow very spot-on!Taste: A bizarre but satisfying concoction; medicinal and chewy with tonic-like qualities. Dry and bitter, bright and fruity, hoppy, spicy and slightly-sweet. Very uniqueMouthfeel: Carbonation is hard-hitting initially, but as the beer warms the oak becomes more apparent and takes a bite out of it. Smooth and flavorful with only a slight ethanol biteDrinkability: At under 7% ABV and with such a dense, tightly-packed flavor profile, I could legitimately drink these all autumn long, and just might… keep an eye out for Baxter!